Impact Award FAQs

The Impact Award Program provides financial support for Catawba College undergraduates to participate in high-impact experiential learning opportunities such as internships, study abroad, research, creative projects, conference participation, and service-learning projects. This program ensures that every Catawba undergraduate student can access transformative educational experiences connected to Catawba-approved academic activity within course work or major. 

All full-time undergraduate students in good academic standing, with no holds on academic or registrar records are eligible to apply. Students with holds should address them prior to submitting an application for the Impact Award.   

We want to ensure that IA supports all Catawba undergraduates in their pursuit of academic and personal growth.

Applications will automatically be checked for eligibility and routed for pre-certification. Students will receive notifications detailing how to resolve any holds or provide missing information.   

Before funding is awarded, proposals are reviewed by a faculty/staff expert in the relevant field:  

• Internships: Michael Frederick, Director of Internships and Career Planning  
• Research, Conferences: Dr. Carmony Hartwig  
• Study Abroad/ International Travel: Jessica Alfaro, Director of the Ketner Center for International Studies  
• Service Learning: Rev. Kendra Joyner-Miller  
• Creative Projects: Dr. Phillip Burgess   
• Domestic Travel: Dr. Erin Daugherty 

• First-Year: $1,000 maximum  
• Sophomore: $2,000 cumulative  
• Junior: $3,000 cumulative  
• Senior: $3,000 cumulative   

• Study abroad/away 
• Internships 
• Research 
• Creative projects 
• Service-learning projects 
• Conference presentations 

•  Travel costs 
• Registration fees 
• Project or research materials 
• Modest housing and transportation expenses 
• Basic needs directly connected to the approved activity 

Individual Application - TBA      Group Application - TBA

Applications must include the following:

• A 250-word proposal that includes a detailed description of the intended project, travel, conference, or internship, etc.
• A clear and detailed budget for ALL associated costs of your project, travel, internship, conference, etc.
• Name of the advisor(s) associated with the Impact Award activity.  

New Impact Award Applications are connected to Catawba’s banner system and will be checked for any outstanding holds on the applicant’s account. Moreover, a panel of discipline experts (see Application Processing), as well as the student's associated Impact Award activity advisor will be notified of the student’s application for the Impact Award.  For the IA to be issued, all the parties will have to approve the students application, and any outstanding holds to be resolved.  

 Applications are accepted in three cycles*:   

• Cycle 1: Application portal open Sept 15–25, 2025 (for activities taking place during the Fall 2025* & Spring 2026 Semester, before Mar 30, 2026)
•  – funds disbursed Jan 2026   
• Cycle 2: Application portal open Oct 20–Nov 3, 2025 (for activities taking place during the Spring Semester, after Apr 1, 2026) – funds disbursed Mar 2026   
• Cycle 3: Application portal open Mar 23–Apr 10, 2026 (for Summer or Fall 2026 activities) — funds disbursed May 2026 

NOTE: applications will only be accepted and processed for the activities taking place during the indicated semesters and time periods.   

Most of the Impact Awards will be disbursed as scholarship funds through the Financial Aid Office via direct deposit.   

You will be able to share a brief report about your experience in the Post-experience Reflection Form that will be sent to all IA recipients at the end of the Spring 2026 semester.

As long as the student does not exceed their $3,000 Impact Award limit, they can apply as many times as they wish. 

All academic and Registrar holds must be cleared for an Impact Award application to be considered complete.   

If there is an account hold, students will be directed to contact the appropriate office to address it.   

IMPORTANT: All financial holds must be cleared before Impact Award funds can be disbursed. 

Project/ Travel/ Internship proposal should be 250 words or less. When writing the proposal, make sure you are able to describe the following:

• the purpose of your proposed experience
• how you are going to make things happen
• how long your experience will take
• how this funding will help you succeed in this experience